Larian Studios Understands That Their New Game Trailer Was Provocative — That's Precisely the Goal.

During a two-week span, a mysterious demonic monolith in the Mojave Desert became the video game community's greatest enigma. Conjecture reached a fever pitch when an industry producer posted an image of the strange statue, hinting it was a teaser for a significant game unveiling. The internet went into overdrive to decipher the puzzle. Was it new content for a popular franchise? A long-awaited sequel in an iconic saga?

Simultaneously, the team at Larian Studios found themselves gleefully discussing every wild theory among themselves. They alone knew the answer: it was a teaser for their upcoming game. This space became the only place they could mention it, bound by a solemn oath of secrecy. Their commitment to silence was so absolute that they even got caught up in the growing hype.

"I remember I saw people speculate that it was *Bloodborne 2*," explained *Divinity's* lead writer, "And I was like ‘Oh, I hope it is!’ Then it hit me: ‘No, it certainly is not!’"

This marketing stunt provided a great topic of conversation, but it also raised a important question: "Is it possible to ultimately let down people if you generate excitement?" This concern is one Larian Studios must now grapple with as their next RPG continues development. Touted as the studio's "biggest and boldest" title so far, the RPG will have significantly increased attention following the phenomenal success of their prior project, the celebrated *Baldur's Gate 3*.

Going Back to the Source

"I believe the key point is that we aim not to disappoint fans," stated Larian founder Swen Vincke, when asked about concerns over alienating new fans expecting a direct sequel. "We are confident that the core appeal they played *Baldur's Gate 3* was the interactive experience. That is our formula, and it was originated in the *Divinity* games. The new game is essentially going back to the foundation of it."

Larian rolled out the red carpet to excite *Baldur's Gate 3* fans excited for *Divinity*. The game's cinematic trailer demonstrated blockbuster polish, depicting a disturbing scene reminiscent of folk horror. The teaser was packed with intense imagery, modeled in part on a developer. It was a confident reveal, showing the studio's belief in its next game.

However, a new *Divinity* was not originally the plan. Although the studio aimed to return to its original CRPG series in time, they first envisioned creating a successor to *Baldur's Gate 3* with a project closer in spirit to that universe. The current project has been in production for about a couple of years following a dramatic shift in plans.

"We were developing a new game set in the world of D&D, using the *Baldur's Gate 3* engine," explained Vincke. "Our intention was to work gradually on *Divinity* subsequently. But we saw that our passion weren't fully committed. We had finished our journey with *Baldur's Gate 3*, so doing another didn't appeal. So we pivoted away from that project. This move accelerated everything for *Divinity*, which meant we had to begin anew."

Forging a Coherent World

Returning to *Divinity* after nearly a decade posed a significant challenge. The team gained immense experience making *Baldur's Gate 3*, which Vincke refers to as the *Divinity* series at a more "refined level." Now, he claims that the new *Divinity* will be an further evolved version of its predecessor. To accomplish that, Larian needed to begin by reworking the world's foundation.

"Among the first things we did was start to build a consistent universe, because the *Divinity* lore was in the past not fully unified," Vincke explained. "It was necessary to re-establish it, a process we mastered during our work with D&D. Simultaneously, we were developing a new engine, so we modified our plans to leverage it earlier. This transition predictably did not go as smoothly as hoped, so we're now concluding a complicated transition period."

Vincke stated that *Divinity* will be a turn-based RPG that can be played solo or in co-op multiplayer. It is also a standalone title, even though after the events of previous games. Longtime fans will recognize some returning characters, but experience with the older games is not necessary. The stated goal is to create a "grounded world where extraordinary things occur because of player agency."

The Core Pillar: Player Agency

This last point is paramount. When asked what Larian believes is the most important element to perfect in *Divinity*, Vincke offered a succinct answer: agency. Larian's goal is to craft a more complex RPG filled with engaging "video game systems." This focus on deep simulation was a cornerstone of *Baldur's Gate 3*'s success, and the studio says it is enhancing that design principle more aggressively here.

"A central part of our philosophy is 'write your own legend.' So the control we want to give you is the most ambitious part," Vincke explained. "There will be sequences in there that will make you say, 'Really? It reacts? But all I did was a minor choice!' We aren't going to tell these possibilities themselves. When I, as a developer realized we could connect these choices, it brought me pure delight. It excited my gamer heart, and that's the sensation I want you to have when the game launches."

Beyond the enhanced focus on player agency, the production of *Baldur's Gate 3* has been instrumental to *Divinity*'s evolution. The studio specifically points out that it learned extensive experience in writing and creating in-game story moments from that project, which will be a major component of the new game.

Building with Player Feedback

The team also reflected on the challenges they encountered during the creation of *Baldur's Gate 3*. Vincke points out that onboarding could be challenging in that game due to diverse class rules. To make *Divinity* more accessible from the outset, Larian decided to "define our own rulesets so we could make it more streamlined for play."

"A prime example was reactions in *Baldur's Gate 3*," Vincke said. "At first, we didn't want to include them. During early access, the community strongly requested them. We feared it would slow down the gameplay. So we implemented them in and realized, well, it's truly better. They had a point! It was a positive moment because it significantly made the game better."

With this in mind, Larian's fans will be instrumental to *Divinity*'s development. Vincke confirmed that the studio will keep incorporating fan feedback